Frankie and Stankie

Barbara Trapido

Dinah and her sister Lisa are growing up in 1950s South Africa, where racial laws are tightening. It's a time of dreadful change. Big sister Lisa is strong and sensible, while Dinah is weedy and arty; a non-eating asthmatic who is pampered by her anxious mother.

As we follow Dinah's journey through childhood and adolescence, we enter into one of the darker passages in twentieth-century history. Balancing darkness and light with marvellous dexterity, this is Barbara Trapido at the top of her form - vibrant, profound and, as always, irresistible.

Short-listed for the Whitbread Novel Award, 2003.

This is more than a wry beady-eyed tale about lisle stockings and moral uplift. It's a big book with big themes and Barbara Trapido's fans will be delighted with the scope it gives for her talents. - Hilary Mantel